Using COM+, Component Services.

[DeadEyes]

I want to centralise some utilty code, so I created a DLL and created a COM+ Application in Component Services.
The problem is I'm not sure how I or others will access/reference these classes.
Is it just a case of referencing the dll like any other one.
At the moment it's very much proof of concept, so I've done all this on my machine, And when I add a reference as would normally be done and execute a method the Golden Globes start spining,so it appears to be working but what happens if someone else is developing from a different machine how would they make a reference.

I didn't think this would be the part to confuse me! I've just read a 400 page book which went into minute detail of everything to do with COM+, but said nothing about what to do once you've creted your COM+ application

Any thoughts from anyone about their experiences with COM+ would be welcomed.

[Bombdrop]

Once you have added an componet to Com+ there will be an option to export the componte ( or something along thoese line) this will produce an set up file to distribut to client ( calling machines) basically the setup file make are required registry enteries to access the Com+ server.

Hope this helped

[DeadEyes]

So if I export this to DeveloperA he can then use the classes to create an Application.
Do I then have to export again to anyone using DeveloperA's Application.
Seems more effort than it's worth.

[Bombdrop]

Sorry not the best at explainng thing ( been a while see done stuff like this and it was in MTS).

No you Com+ application will always reside on the Transaction server but for any machine to call the DLL they must Know where they reside hence the need for the Com+ Servwer to produce a file stating where it is and placeing relevant registry keys on a client machine. COM+ allows you to a your DLL in 1 central place.

[crptcblade]

Originally posted by DeadEyes
So if I export this to DeveloperA he can then use the classes to create an Application.
Do I then have to export again to anyone using DeveloperA's Application.
Seems more effort than it's worth.

If you are just putting it into COM+ for development purposes, and weren't planning on using it in production, then its probably a waste of time.

Just put the DLL on a shared drive that all the developers have access to and have them register it from there.

But if you are planning on using COM+ in production, then yes, any client will need to run the export MSI in order to have a proxy back to the DLL on the server.

[DeadEyes]

It will be going into production at some stage, altough I won't be giving them any firm dates yet!
Thanks for the replies I'll check out this export wizard.

[Dave Sell]

Originally posted by DeadEyes

I've just read a 400 page book which went into minute detail of everything to do with COM+, but said nothing about what to do once you've creted your COM+ application

Which book?

[DeadEyes]

Programming Distributed Applications with COM+ And Visual Basic
By Ted Pattison.
Sample Chapter

[Bombdrop]

Slightly Off topic.
But can you share variables in a COM+ componet if the are in a publi module as is the case with ActiveX EXEs if one sets the clasess to multiuse and limit the instances of the EXE as a whole to 1